Fire extinguisher, particularly for motor cars which operates automatically



April 12, 1966 J. GARCIA HlTA FIRE EXTINGUISHER, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR CARS WHICH OPERATES AUTOMATICALLY Filed Dec. 5, 1963 INVENTOR. Zola {arua lYf/G. BY

United States Patent 3,245 473 FIRE EXTINGUISHER, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR CARS WHICH OPERATES AUTO- MATICALLY Jos Garcia Hita, Calle Huertas 55, Madrid, Spain Filed Dec. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 327,738 3 Claims. (Cl. 1692) The desirability, and indeed the necessity, rather than the convenience, of providing fire extinguishers in motor cars and other vehicles having internal combustion engines, is evident in view of the frequency of severe character of accidents in which such vehicles are often involved. On the other hand, the utility of fire extinguishers as they are used at present is very uncertain and disputable, not on account of deficiencies of the apparatus, but owing to the need for their actuation by the driver precisely in moments in which the driver, as a result of injuries or shock sustained from an accident or fire, the driver is not in a condition to use or to operate the fire extinguisher, regardless of how simple its operation. Frequently, the availability of the extinguisher is completely forgotten. Moreover, when a fire starts in the rear portion of the vehicle, it is possible that the fire will not immediately be detected, thus attaining a size against which the small extinguisher becomes useless. The consequence of the above is that in a burning car the fire extinguishers remain ordinarily unused on their supports, the occasions in which they are used being very scarce. Lastly, when the fire burns under the engine hood, which is where most vehicle fires start, it is necessary to lift the hood to put an end to the fire, which constitutes a risky operation requiring the kind of calm nerves usually absent under such conditions. On the other hand any attempt to extinguish the fire without lifting the hood will be almost useless.

The above considerations prove beyond any doubt that it has become necessary to automatize this extinguishing action, making it independent of any need for actuation by the driver.

The extinguishing system which is the object of this application is actuated automatically at the starting of the fire and operates precisely in the starting location of the same, thereby overcoming the above mentioned drawbacks which are inherent to the present systems.

The simplicity of the extinguishing system which constitutes the object of this invention assures its efiiciency, since it eliminates any failures due to mechanical operation. This system is based on the use of elements which are permanently arranged at the positions considerexi the most subject to fire hazards. These elements are diffusors of a size and shape suitable for every space. They may be tubular, spheric, prismatic, and are entirely or partly provided with capillary openings. The surfaces provided with such openings are coated with a layer of a substance which seals these openings, the said sealing layer being made of inflammable or highly combustible materials such as collodion, celluloid, magnesium powder, and similar materials which, while being infusible at elevated temperatures which may occur during operation of a vehicle, are subject to immediate combustion upon contact with any spark or small flame originated in their surroundings, thus freeing the diffusor holes previously sealed by the said layer. The extinguishing product contained in the system will then be projected through the free holes under a suflicient pressure and, as above stated, precisely at the very starting location of the fire. To applicants knowledge, this constitutes the novelty of the invention since all the automatic apparatus, systems and installations known heretofore are based on the abnormal elevation of temperature in the en- "ice closure to be protected, which temperature rise either melts plugs, valves, sealers and the like to send out an alarm or to operate the said installations, or closes electrical contacts by the expansion of metallic parts or other mechanical or electrical actuation means causing the same operations. The system according to this invention, on the other hand, is not based upon this temperature rise since it has been found that the elevated temperatures which are often present in such vehicles can cause the discharge of the extinguishing product even when no fire is actually started. Rather, the present system operates only when the sealing substance is removed by actual combustion, which should exclusively take place in the correct circumstances. The action of the extinguishing agent, of which many may be used although a liquid type is preferable, resides in the provision of a non-combustion-supporting atmosphere which stiiles the flames and prevents the combustion, even of inflammable products, due to the absence of the oxygen required for such combustion.

In view of the diversity of the models of vehicles or installations in which this system may be used, it is impossible to illustrate shapes, sizes or even a generally valid specific arrangement. For this reason the single figure is intended to illustrate merely the basic concept of the invention.

eference numeral 1 indicates extinguishing elements, such as dilfusors, of a size and shape suitable for each of the locations to be protected and made of any suitable, infusible, noncombustible and preferably metallic material, characterized in that they are entirely or partly perforated by capillary holes and that their external surfaces are externally coated with a layer 6 of inflammable or highly combustible material which, since the system is permanently pressurized, must be able to withstand the internal pressure, thus sealing these capillary holes which will become free as soon as the said layer is removed by combustion, thus allowing the outflow of the pressurized extinguishing product which is projected into the flames which have caused the combustion of the sealing layer.

Reference numeral 2 indicates a container made of a suitable material and having adequate shape and size adapted to contain an amount of extinguishing product sufiicient to extinguish an ordinary fire.

Reference numeral 3 is a network of flexible pipes made also of a suitable material and having a small bore, such pipes being adapted to distribute the extinguishing product and having as many branches as are required to supply the above mentioned extinguishing product to the diffusors which thus are connected to the said container.

The schematic drawing shows also the following elements which are necessary for the operation of the system: any means 4, e.g. a simple check valve, allowing pressurizing of the system to an extent sufiicient to cause the projection of the extinguishing substance through the said capillary holes upon the latter becoming free by the combustion of the sealing layer; and furthermore any pressure gauge 5 which is able to both show the internal pressure drop, thus adverting of an unnoticed fire or of a leak which could prevent the system from proper operation, and an internal pressure increase which could only be provoked by abnormal heating in the circuit which could cause a fire.

Finally, the system is completed by the incorporation of the accessories, such as valves, or fittings (not shown) which are necessary for joining the several elements, shapes and materials in every case and therefore cannot be accurately described. These elements, although not essential for the claimed system, are notwithstanding necessary for its application.

The characteristics, features and principles of this invention having been described in the foregoing, what I claim is:

1. An automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus, particularly for use in automotive vehicles, comprising a closed receptacle whose interior is normally sealed from the atmosphere and is maintained under constant pressure, said receptacle including container means accommodating the bulk of a fire-extinguishing substance; at least one nozzle having a foraminous portion with capillary openings and being cornmunicatingly connected with said container means, said nozzle being filled with a portion of said substance; sealing means normally sealing the foramina of said nozzle, said sealing means consisting of a coating surrounding and bonded to said foraminous portion and sealing said capillary openings therein, the material of said coating being combustible at a predetermined elevated temperature and subject to complete and substantially instantaneous combustion at such elevated temperature; and pressurizing means operatively connected with said container means to maintain the interior of said receptacle under constant pressure so that, when combustion of said sealing coating takes place, said fireextinguishing substance will issue under pressure substantially simultaneously from all foramina of said nozzle means.

2. An automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus, particularly for use in automotive vehicles, comprising a closed receptacle whose interior is normally sealed from the atmosphere and is maintained under constant pressure, said receptacle including container means accommodating the bulk of a fire-extinguishing substance; at least one nozzle having a foraminous portion with capillary openings therein and being communicatingly connected with said container means, said nozzle being filled with a portion of said substance; sealing means normally sealing the foramina of said nozzle, said sealing means consisting of a coating surrounding and bonded to said foraminous portion sealing said capillary openings therein, the material of said coating being combustible at a predetermined elevated temperature and subject to complete and substantially instantaneouscombustion at such elevated temperature; pressurizing means operatively connected with said container means to maintain the interior of said receptacle under constant pressure so that, when combustion of said sealing coating takes place, said fireextinguishing substance ill issue under pressure substantially simultaneously from all foramina of said nozzle means; and indicator means for indicating fluctuations in the pressure in said receptacle.

3. An automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus, particularly for use in automotive vehicles, comprising a closed receptacle whose interior is normally sealed from the atmosphere and is maintained under constant pressure, said receptacle including container means accommodating the bulk of a fire-extinguishing substance; at least one nozzle having an apertured portion formed with a plurality of capillary bores therein, and being communicatingly connected with said container means, said nozzle being filled with a portion of said substance; sealing means normally covering the entire apertured portion and thereby sealing said capillary bores of said nozzle, said sealing means consisting of a coating surrounding and bonded to said ioraminous portion sealing said capillary openings therein, the material of said coating being combustible at a predetermined elevated temperature and subject to complete and substantially instantaneous combustion at such elevated temperature; and pressnrizing means operatively connected with said container means to maintain the interior of said receptacle under constant pressure so that, when combustion of said sealing coating takes place, said fire-extinguishing substance will issue under pressure substantially simultaneously from all foramina of said nozzle means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

I. HUSSER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, COMPRISING A CLOSED RECEPTACLE WHOSE INTERIOR IS NORMALLY SEALED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND IS MAINTAINED UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING CONTAINER MEANS ACCOMMODATING THE BULK OF A FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SUBSTANCE; AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE HAVING A FORAMINOUS PORTION WITH CAPILLARY OPENINGS AND BEING COMMUNICATINGLY CONNECTED WITH SAID CONTAINER MEANS, SAID NOZZLE BEING FILLED WITH A PORTION OF SAID SUBSTANCE; SEALING MEANS NORMALLY SEALING THE FORAMINA OF SAID NOZZLE, SAID SEALING MEANS CONSISTING OF A COATING SURROUNDING AND BONDED TO SAID FORAMINOUS PORTION AND SEALING SAID CAPILLARY OPENINGS THEREIN, THE MATERIAL OF SAID COATING BEING COMBUSTIBLE AT A PREDETERMINED ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND SUBJECT TO COMPLETE AND SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS COMBUSTION AT SUCH ELEVATED TEMPERATURE; AND PRESSURIZING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID CONTAINER MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE INTERIOR OF SAID RECEPTACLE UNDER CONSTANT PRESSURE SO THAT, WHEN COMBUSTION OF SAID SEALING COATING TAKES PLACE, SAID FIREEXTINGUISHING SUBSTANCE WILL ISSUE UNDER PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM ALL FORAMINA OF SAID NOZZLE MEANS. 